Isobel Morrison

Isobel Morrison
Matched
Ally Condie
Fiction
Just Right
Page (27)


1.  Right now in my book Matched the main character, Cassia Reyes just finished her match banquet.  A match banquet is a special night for every 17 year old girl and boy to find out who they are going marry.  Cassia was super nervous but she felt a little better that her parents and best friend, Xander would accompany her.  Xander wasn't nervous at all to find his match.  93% of people are nervous before there match banquet.  Xander was part of that 7% that wasn't nervous.  When Cassia got there she had dinner and dessert and waited for them to announce everyone's match.  Usually your match is from a different town than you.  When Cassia was called she stood up and she waited to see her matches face on the big screen.  It was about five minutes when the conductor of the match banquet announced that and unusual event occurred.  Cassia's match was from her town and she knew him.  She was now even more excited to see who it was.  The person that appeared on the screen was Xander Thomas Carrow.  Cassia was so surprised that her match was her best friend as well.

2.  I think the detail in this book helps me understand the plot better.  I'm not to far into this book but so far the whole plot has been about Cassia's match banquet.  The little details like the box that is given to each person about there match and it contains all of there background information.  Cassia already knows everything about Xander because they are best friends.  I can infer that Cassia does not like to follow the crowd like most of her town does.  What brought me to this thought is that when Cassia is picking out her dress for the banquet she picks out the one the nobody has already and shes fine with that.  Those kind of details help me get to know that characters better in the story.  The author of this book has intrigued me by haven't a unique plot line that I would have never thought I like, but do.  I have never read any books by this author before.  I like her style of writing thought because she makes the little details in the book seem most important.  When Xander said he wasn't nervous it was because he "already knew" that Cassia would be his match.  She emphasized that small detail.

3.  The theme so far is Responsibility.  I picked this as theme because now that Cassia is 17 and has attended her match banquet she has a lot more responsibilities in life then she did.  Her parents have told her that she has to start sorting out her own life without their help with Xander.  I think this theme appears in both the characters and the plot.  I see it through the characters actions like when Cassia has to wake up her little brother for school so he isn't late.  I see in in the plot because so far the whole book has been about Cassia taking on new responsibilities as a 17 year old woman.  Responsibility is a common tribute in this book so far.

4.  My favorite character in this book so far is Cassia.  She is my favorite character because I can connect to her personality wise.  Cassia is definitely not a follower.  She likes to be independent and do her own things, her own way.  As I already said when she was picking out her dress for the match banquet she picked out the one the no one had.  She is also very kind to her family.  She is not told to wake her brother up in the morning but she does it out of choice and responsibility.  Cassia always does what her parents tell her to do. She is a very obedient child.  After the banquet she asked if she could a little later even know it was really close to curfew for the whole city.  Her father agreed but said she had to be back before curfew.  Cassia was right on time before her curfew was up.  Cassia has a real personality, she sees life as it is.  When she received the information the Xander was her match she wasn't upset or mad.  She was fine with it because she knew that whatever happens she will always have her childhood best friend.

5.  My least favorite character is Bram, Cassia's brother.  He is my least favorite character because he doesn't appreciate all the things Cassia does for him.  Cassia is basically a mom for Bram when their actually Mom isn't around.  She wakes him up for school, looks after him, and makes him meals.  Bram also makes jokes that her Xander were matched together.  Cassia takes the higher route and just laughs along with him but Bram doesn't understand that sometimes his words Cassia's feelings.

6.  I think what will happen next in my book if that Cassia is going to find it really awkward to talk to Xander as a friend because they were matched together.  I'm basing my prediction on the reaction of Cassia when she found out Xander was her match.  The author made it seem like she was happy but kind of surprised in and upset way.  When Cassia and Xander were walking out of the match banquet together, Cassia seemed speechless but Xander had a lot to say.  I could definitely feel the tension going one way from Cassia to Xander.  The author has a different way of writing the emotions of characters that emphasize small details and emotions that make it seem more important in the ongoing plot line.  I hope the Cassia and Xander end up in a successful marriage.